Contract: Northrop, $30M

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Md., is being awarded a $30,000,000 indefinite-quantity/indefinite-delivery contract for contractor logistics support services in support of the AN/ASQ-236 aircraft pod. The location of performance is Linthicum, Md. Work is expected to be completed by March 11, 2016. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013. The contracting activity is AFLCMC/EBSK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Source: DoD, 03/12/13)

Contract: Northrop, $71.6M

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $71,623,427 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for the modification and delivery of six vertical take-off and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (VTUAV) and seven ground control stations in support of the VTUAV endurance upgrade rapid deployment capability effort. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas (32 percent); Ozark, Ala. (27 percent); Rancho Bernardo, Calif. (25 percent); Moss Point, Miss. (15 percent); and Point Mugu, Calif. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2014. Fiscal 2012 and 2013 Aircraft Procurement Navy contract funds in the amount of $71,623,427 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/11/13)

Two units moving to Hurlburt

Two squadrons at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., are moving across town to Hurlburt Field. About 400 people with the 9th Special Operations Squadron and the 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron are moving this spring and taking their fleet of MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft with them. The move will unite all 1st Special Operations Wing squadrons at Hurlburt, allowing for more efficient aircraft maintenance because the newcomers will be able to work closely with squadrons maintaining very similar planes at Hurlburt. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/07/13)

2nd Dutch F-35 rolls out

AN-2 in Texas. Lockheed Martin photo

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The second Lockheed Martin F-35 for the Netherlands rolled out of the F-35 production facility on March 2. It will be assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., later this summer. The Netherlands is planning to use this conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jet, known as AN-2, for training and operational tests for pilots and maintainers. AN-2 will undergo functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests later this year. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 03/07/13)

Stennis tower in jeopardy

The air traffic control tower at Stennis International Airport in Kiln, near NASA's Stennis Space Center, is among seven in Mississippi set to be closed in April as the Federal Aviation Administration moves to reduce spending by $600 million under automatic federal budget cuts. The FAA said it will consider keeping some towers open on a case-by-case basis. Other Mississippi airports on the list are Tupelo Regional, Golden Triangle in Columbus, Mid-Delta in Greenville, Hawkins Field at Jackson, Key Field in Meridian and Olive Branch Regional. (Source: AP via Hattiesburg American, 03/07/13) Stennis International serves NASA's Stennis Space Center, and among other things is the airport Rolls-Royce uses to receive and ship out engines that it tests at SSC.

Airport sets post-Katrina record

NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans’ airport surpassed 8.6 million passengers in 2012, a post-Katrina record that maintains an upward trend even as similar airports across the nation experienced a slight decline, according to airport figures. But the good year at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International still fell short of its passenger totals before the 2005 hurricane. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 03/06/13)

General: Furloughs just a part

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- The civilian furloughs have been announced, but more impacts from the $45 billion in sequestration cuts to the Department of Defense could soon hit Eglin Air Force Base in Northwest Florida. That's according to Brig. Gen. David Harris, commander of the 96th Test Wing. He was guest speaker at Wednesday's lunch meeting of the Rotary Club of Fort Walton Beach. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/06/13)

NVision building small sim

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. – It's cutting edge and designed to replace multiple other simulator systems in military aircraft. A while back the Naval Air Systems Command awarded NVision Solutions Inc. of Bay St. Louis a $35 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to design, build, test, and manufacture the Handheld Radar Simulator (HRS). The company has been working the project for seven months now. HRS will replace multiple systems used to test electronic counter measures in military aircraft. NVision is designing, prototyping and later will manufacture this next-generation system through an agreement with partners Loglinear LLC and Applied Geo Technologies, also of Mississippi. NVision is headquartered near NASA’s Stennis Space Center and is a member of the EIGS geospatial technology cluster of the Magnolia Business Alliance. (Source: NVision/Magnolia Business Alliance, 03/04/13)

JSTARS, GH work together

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Northrop Grumman late last month completed a successful exchange of radar data during a flight test involving the U.S. Air Force's E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) and the RQ-4B Global Hawk Block 40 unmanned aircraft system. The Feb. 25 exchange is the first collaborative effort to stream ground moving target radar data from a Global Hawk Block 40 to a Joint STARS aircraft. Information can then be relayed from Joint STARS to ground forces. The flight successfully demonstrated the interoperability of both platforms to potentially improve and expand surveillance capabilities for deployed forces. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 03/06/13) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.

More F-35 issues raised

A February report from the Defense Department's Operational Test and Evaluation department raises concerns about the survivability of the F-35 in a dogfight. The issues, including less out-of-cockpit visibility than other Air Force fighters, came up during training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. One pilot pointed out that lack of "aft visibility" could get a plane shot down in close combat. The helmet mounted display was also criticized for technical problems. The 68-page report was posted on the Project on Government Oversight website. The Air Force did its own Operational Utility Evaluation last year. (Sources: Time, Washington Times, Defense News, 03/06/13) Previous: F-35 cleared to fly; F-35A pilot training to begin; F-35 eval completed

Contract: Lockheed Martin, $72.2M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a not-to-exceed $72,200,000 undefinitized modification to the previously awarded Low Rate Initial Production Lot 6 advance acquisition contract. This modification provides for the procurement of support equipment at Pilot Training Center 1, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., for the F-35 Conventional Take-Off and Landing air system program. In addition, this modification provides for the associated Data Quality Integration Management supplier support tasks, and all other sustainment data products for the U.S. Air Force and the governments of Italy and Australia. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in August 2014. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force (76.2 percent); and the governments of Italy (14.3 percent); and Australia (9.5 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/05/13) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.

Contract: Textron, $113.4M

Textron Marine & Land Systems, New Orleans, La., was awarded a $113,431,277 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the procurement of Mobile Strike Force vehicles to support the Afghanistan National Security Forces. This contract is in support of Foreign Military Sales for Afghanistan. Work will be performed in New Orleans, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2014. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/05/13)

Northrop reorganizes sector

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Northrop Grumman designated five centers of design and integration excellence in a reorganization of the Aerospace Systems sector's manned aircraft, unmanned systems and electronic attack businesses. Changes include closing an Information Systems sector facility in Dominguez Hills, Calif. The Manned Aircraft Design Center of Excellence will be in Melbourne, Fla., and will include aircraft design work currently being done at the company's Bethpage, N.Y., facility. The B-2, F/A-18 and F-35 programs will remain in Palmdale, El Segundo and Redondo Beach, Calif., respectively. The company's Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence will be at the Rancho Bernardo facility in San Diego, Calif. Two programs will transition to that center: the MQ-4C Triton program from Bethpage, and the NATO Airborne Ground Surveillance program from Melbourne. An Electronic Attack Center of Excellence will be in Bethpage and will include the Aerospace Systems' Electronic Attack program team. The company has designated two Aircraft Integration Centers of Excellence, one in Palmdale, Calif., and the other in St. Augustine, Fla. Current integration activities in Moss Point, Miss., and New Town, N.D., are not included in this transition. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 03/04/13)

Embry-Riddle contract change eyed

About two and a half years after voting to contract with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide to provide high school students opportunities to explore math and science through aviation, the Okaloosa County School Board has opted to go into contract negotiations with the university's main campus in Daytona rather than the satellite campus. The concern is declining enrollment. The school system had previously contracted with the main campus of Embry-Riddle, but in the summer of 2010 opted to contract with Embry-Riddle Worldwide, which has campuses at Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/04/13)

Blue Angels April shows gone

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Blue Angels air shows in April were canceled due to Pentagon belt-tightening, and what beyond that will still be canceled is unclear at this point. Only one of the Blue Angels' five scheduled practices in Pensacola during March is still definite. The Navy is still trying to determine the amount of flight training the Blue Angles will be able to do when they return to Pensacola from their winter training base in El Centro, Calif. (Sources: WEAR-TV, Pensacola News Journal, 03/04/13)

Dragon arrives at ISS

A privately-owned unmanned U.S. space capsule docked Sunday at the International Space Station bringing more than 1,200 pounds of food, scientific materials and equipment to the space outpost. NASA said that SpaceX's Dragon capsule linked up with the ISS at 8:56 a.m. It was captured by the ISS’s robotic arm. NASA said a hatch between Dragon and the ISS would be opened Monday as the capsule commenced its three-week-long stay at the orbiting space station. (Sources: Multiple, including AFP via SpaceTravel, CNN, 03/03/13) Gulf Coast note: NASA's Stennis Space Center, in addition to testing engines for NASA programs, tests engines for some commercial space companies.

Contract: L-3 Vertex, $8M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded an $8,076.281 contract modification for aircraft flightline maintenance for the F-16 aircraft in support of Taiwan's F-16 program. The location of performance is Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. Work is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2014. Type of appropriation is international funding. The contracting activity is AETC CONS/LGCI, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Contract involves Foreign Military Sales. (Source: DoD, 03/01/13)

Memorial dedicated at ATC

MOBILE, Ala. -- A memorial to the four crewmembers of a Coast Guard helicopter that crashed last year in Mobile Bay was dedicated Friday. The memorial was dedicated to the crew of CG-6535. Hundreds turned out at the U.S. Coast Guard's Mobile Aviation Training Center for the private ceremony, which honored pilot Lt. Cmdr. Dale Taylor, co-pilot Lt. j.g. Thomas Cameron, rescue swimmer Chief Petty Officer Fernando Jorge, and flight mechanic Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew "Drew" Knight. The MH-65C helicopter crashed after a training mission. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 03/01/13) Previous

DoD wants more BRACS

The Defense Department plans to ask Congress for two new military base closure rounds in for 2015 and 2017, according to a former defense official. The Pentagon made the same request last year, but it went nowhere. Only Congress can authorize a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round. Critics say closing bases does not produce immediate savings and costs more upfront. The 2005 BRAC was not completed until the fall of 2011. (Source: Politico, 02/28/13) Gulf Coast note: The Naval Medical Research Laboratory at Naval Air Station Pensacola was realigned in the last BRAC, and only last year was it moved to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

F-35 cleared to fly

The Pentagon said on Thursday it would resume flights of its F-35 following a week-long precautionary grounding imposed after a crack was found on an engine blade on a test plane in California. No additional cracks were found during inspections of engines on the remaining 50 planes in the Pentagon's fleet, or any spare engines. The conclusion was the crack was caused from overuse in test operations. It was the program's second engine-related flight ban in less than two months. The Marines Corps version of the plane was grounded for nearly a month from mid-January because of a faulty hose in the engine, later blamed on manufacturing errors. (Source: New York Times, 02/28/13, Reuters, 03/01/13)